§ Lord Cocks of Hartcliffeasked the Chairman of Committees:
Whether he will place in the Library an explanation of the reasons for the installation of 104WA new post boxes in the House, the mode of manufacture of the new boxes and the costs involved.
§ The Chairman of Committees (Lord Ampthill)The Post Office advised that the old post boxes could no longer cope with the growing volume of mail. It was decided to install new boxes in each House. Recognising the architectural importance of the Palace, the Post Office has taken care, in liaison with English Heritage, to use materials, designs and finishes which will allow the boxes to blend in with their individual surroundings and provide a clearer and more standardised format for information about collection times. Students and tutors from the London College of Furniture, which is incorporated within the City of London Polytechnic, were engaged by the Post Office to make the boxes under a bursary scheme to promote collaborative educational patronage. No costs have been incurred by the House. The cost of replacing the boxes has been funded entirely by the Post Office as a gift to the Palace of Westminster.